Grate mechanism.



W. L. MERSPELDER.

GRATE MECHANISM. APPLICATION FILED JUNE 23, 1913 Patented May 19, 1914.

WILLIAM L. MERSFELDER, OF CINCINNATI, OHIO.

(Bi-BATE MECHANISM.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 19, 191 1.

Application filed June 23, 1913. Serial No. 775,427.

To all whom it may concern Be itknown that 1, WILLIAM L. MensrnLonn, a citizen of the United States, residing at Cincinnati, in the county of Hamilton and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Grate Mechanism, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improved shaking and dumping mechanism for stoves and furnaces.

One of its objects is to provide an improved, simple and reliable dumping mecha- IllSIn.

Another object is to provide an improved combination of shaking and dumping mechanism.

Another object is to provide improved actuating mechanism adapted to selectively dump or shake the grate.

My invention also comprises certain details of form, combination and arrangement, all of which will be fully set forth in the description of the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a horizontal section through a furnace on line :0 m of Fig. 2 illustrating my improved shaking and dumping mecha nism in top plan, and with the fire brick lining omitted. Fig. 2 is a central vertical section on line to w of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a top plan view of the grate supporting or dumping platform detached. Fig. A is a sectional detail on line o o of Fig. 2. Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the shaker link detached. Fig. 6 is a detail of a portion of the actuating lever supporting bracket. Fig. 7 is a face view of the actuating lever detached. Fig. 8 is a perspective view of the dumping link detached.

The accompanying drawings illustrate one of the preferred embodiments of my invention in which A represents the frame of a furnace, having a fire box 2 an ash pit 3 a fire door 4: and an ash pit door 5. A dumping platform B is pivotally supported on brackets 6 attached to the frame A, and has an arm 7 which is preferably grooved on its under face to form a channel to receive a roller 8 which is carried by one arm of a pivotally supported bellcrank lever 9. As illustrated in Fig. 2 said bell crank lever and roller are in position to engage the arm 7 and hold or lock the platform B in a horizontal position, but are capable of moving to the position indicated in dotted line thereby permitting the platform B to assume an inclined position as indicated in dotted line with the arm 7 resting upon the hub of the bell crank lever. In order to insure the arm :7 and roller 8 retaining their relative positions as illustrated in full line Fig. 2, an 1ncl1ne 7 is provided on the under side of arm 7.

The grate D is pivotally supported upon the platform B by means of a stud 10 entermg a corresponding recess 11 in the platform 13, and is actuated to rotate upon said stud by means of a link 12 engaging a cylindrical projection 14: carried by the grate. The oscillation of the grate beneath the bed of coals in the fire box serves to detach the ashes and permit them to fall into the ash pit. The link 12 is offset at its inner end and has an eye to engage the projection 14, while the middle portion of the link rests against the side of frame A, and its forward end projects through a slot in the front portion of frame A. The link 12 is thus held in position and prevented from becoming displaced.

The bell-crank lever 9 is pivotally supported on a bracket 15 so as to be readily detached therefrom, and the bracket 15 is detachably seated in tapered dovetailed bracket-s or guides 16 attached to the frame A.

E represents a bracket attached to the front of the frame A and provided with a curved or V-shaped slot 17 through which the bolt 18 of the actuating lever 19 is passed. The lower end of the slot 17 serves as the journal for the actuating lever, and by lifting said lever as indicated in dotted line Fig. 2 to the extent permitted by the slot 17, said lever may be disengaged from one of the links 12 and 2? and engaged with the other, with which it will retain its engagement until again lifted. For this purpose the lower portion of the actuating lever is provided with slots 20, 21, 22, and with pins 2 1 and 25 crossing the slots 20 and 22. In one position of engagement of the actuating lever the pin 24 engages a hook or recess 26 at the outer end of the link 12 to operatively connect the operating lever and link 12 to shake the grate, while the pin 25 is disengaged from the link 27.

The link 27 has a hooked end 28 to de tachably engage a pin carried by the forked lower end of the bell crank lever 9, said link and bell crank lever being assembled before mounting the bell crank lever in operative position, and said link being locked to the lower end of the bell crank lever against accidental displacement while the bell crank lever is in operative position. The opposite end of the link 27 projects through a slot in the front of the frame A, and the lower edge of the link rides upon the bottom of said slot. The outer end of link 27 is provided with a hook or recess 29 to be engaged by the pin 25 of the actuating lever when said lever is shifted to engage the link 27 and to disengage the pin 24 from the link 12. Thus the actuating lever can be readily shifted from one position to the other, and in one position engaged with the link 27, so that the oscillation of the actuating lever will shift the bell-crank lever 9 and thereby lower and raise the platform B and the grate carried thereby to dump the contents of the fire box into the ash pit, while in its other position the actuating lever will engage the link 12 and its oscillation will rotarily oscillate the grate upon the platform B to shake the ashes into the ash pit. All of the parts are so arranged as to be readily detached and removed for any purpose, and when assembled are reliably retained in operative position.

The mechanism herein illustrated and described is capable of considerable modification without departing from the principle of my invention.

Having described my invention, what I claim is:

1. A grate mechanism comprising a tiltable platform pivotally supported at one side of its center and riding upon a movable member at the opposite side of its center, a grate rotatably supported upon said platform, a link to shift said movable supporting member to tilt said platform, a link to oscillate said grate relative to said platform, and a shifting lever pivotally supported upon an adjustable center to enable it to be selectively engaged with said respective links to tilt said platform or oscillate said grate.

2. A grate mechanism comprising a tiltable platform pivotally supported at one point and supported at another point upon one end of a pivotally supported arm, a grate rotatably supported upon said platform, a link to shift said pivoted supporting arm to tilt said platform, a link to oscillate said grate relative to said platform, and a shifting lever pivotally supported intermediate of said links upon an adjustable center to enable it to be selectively engaged with said respective links to tilt said platform or oscillate said grate.

3. A grate mechanism comprising a pivotally supported tiltable platform, a pivotally supported arm to normally support said platform in a substantially horizontal Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

position, a grate rotatably supported upon said platform, an actuating lever having an adjustable center of oscillation, and independent connecting members to be engaged by said actuating lever in different positions to sele tively actuate said pivoted arm to tilt said platform or to rotatably oscillate said grate.

4. A grate mechanism comprising a pivotally supported tiltable platform, having a projecting arm to support it in position, a grate rotatably supported upon and tiltable with said platform, a stationary bracket detachably supported beneath said arm, a bellcrank having a limited movement pivotally supported upon said detachable bracket in position to engage with one of its arms the arm of said platform to support said platform in a substantially horizontal posit-ion when the supporting arm of said bell crank is in a vertical position, and in an inclined position when the supporting arm of said bell crank is inclined, an operating lever, and a link pivotally connecting said bellcrank and operating lever to adjust said platform.

5. A grate mechanism comprising a detachable pivotally supported tiltable platform,a pivotally supported arm provided with a roller at its free end to engage a track on said platform to move said platform from an inclined to a substantially horizontal position and lock said plat-form in its horizontal position, a grate rotatably supported upon said platform and tiltable therewith, an actuating lever having an oscillating movement and independent mechanism to be selectively engaged by said actuating lever to tilt said platform and to rotatably oscillate said grate.

6. A grate mechanism comprising a supporting frame, a pivotally supported tiltable platform, a pivotally supported arm to engage said platform to move said platform from an inclined to a substantially horizontal position and lock said platform in its horizontal position, a grate rotatably su ported upon said platform and tiltable therewith, an actuating lever having an oscillating movement and independent members to be selectively engaged by said actuating lever to actuate said pivotally supported arm to tilt said platform and to rotatably oscillate said grate, said several members being mounted upon said frame so as to be readily detachable and removable therefrom.

In testimony whereof I have affixed my signature in presence of two witnesses.

WILLIAM L. MERSFELDER.

Witnesses C. W. MILES, E. W. MoOALLIsrER.

Washington, D. G. 

